Poland’s offshore wind kick-off: towards technology leadership in the Baltic Sea

24 January 2025

Poland's offshore wind kick-off: towards technology leadership in the Baltic Sea

© Grupa Przemysłowa Baltic (GPB)

Poland is ramping up its domestic offshore wind supply chain to become the leading offshore wind player in the Baltic Sea. Works on the construction of two substations for Poland's first offshore wind farm are now completed. This marks the kick-off of commercial-scale offshore wind development in Polish waters. Meanwhile the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU has made energy security and industrial competitiveness two of its main priorities.

On 23 January 2025 Grupa Przemysłowa Baltic (GPB), a Polish company specialised in manufacturing complex steel structures, hosted a high-level event to celebrate the completion of two offshore substations for "Baltic Power", Poland's most advanced offshore wind farm.

The event marked the kick-off for commercial-scale offshore wind in Poland.

The Polish Wind Energy Association estimates Poland's total offshore wind potential at 33 GW. This would make Poland the leading country for offshore wind in the Baltic Sea. And it would generate enough power to cover more than 50% of Poland's current electricity demand.

Poland aims to have 5.9 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030 as part of its first phase of offshore wind projects. This phase combines 7 individual offshore wind farms. The substations completed in Gdańsk and Gdynia will be installed in the "Baltic Power" offshore wind farm. It's the most advanced of the 7 projects. It is set to be commissioned in 2026 and will then be Poland's first offshore wind farm. Once completed "Baltic Power" alone will cover 3% of Poland's current electricity demand.

"Poland's first offshore wind farms are starting to take shape. This is a big moment for Poland's energy transition to renewables: the kick-off of Polish offshore wind. Offshore wind will create tens of thousands of good jobs. It will revitalise coastal regions and communities - here in Pomerania and elsewhere", said WindEurope Deputy CEO Malgosia Bartosik.

Offshore wind is already creating economic benefits for Poland. Over the lifetime of "Baltic Power" Polish companies and contractors will account approx. 20% of the total investment. Aside from the offshore substations, Polish companies are also involved in producing cables and foundations for the wind farm.

Poland's Presidency of the Council of the EU: "Security, Europe!"

The kick-off event coincided with Poland's Presidency of the Council of the EU. This week Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk presented the priorities for the 6-month Presidency in front of members of the European Parliament. The Presidency's slogan is "Security, Europe!". Its priorities include national security, energy security and industrial competitiveness.

Offshore wind energy delivers on all of these priorities.

"Offshore wind will make Europe stronger and more autonomous. It will make countries like Poland less dependent on energy imports from Russia and elsewhere. It will ensure reliable and cheap electricity for households and businesses. It's key to Europe's industrial competitiveness", said Malgosia Bartosik.

Clean Industrial Deal: Europe must hold the course towards competitive decarbonisation

In February the European Commission is set to present the "Clean Industrial Deal", its new vision for the industrial revival of Europe. The strategy is a cornerstone project in the new European Commission five-year Work Programme. It is set to double down on the expansion of home-grown, competitive renewables as a critical building block of Europe's industrial competitiveness, and main Europe's global leadership in decarbonisation amidst increasing economic uncertainty in the world.

"It's more critical than ever that the EU holds a clear course and delivers on its commitments to expand wind energy, decarbonise its economy and reach climate neutrality by 2050. The kick-off of offshore wind in Poland proves that decarbonisation and competitiveness go hand in hand. Offshore wind will strengthen Europe's technology leadership, economic growth and international independence", said Malgosia Bartosik.

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More information:

Offshore electrical substations play a key role in wind farm projects. They convert electricity from offshore wind turbines and transmit it to the mainland. Each of the two substations built by Grupa Przemysłowa Baltic (GPB) for the Baltic Power project weighs approximately 1,300 tons and measures 20 x 40 x 40 meters-the size of a multi-story building. Constructing the substations took nearly two years, involving over 400 employees from GPB's facilities in Gdańsk and Gdynia.

Offshore wind in Poland: WindEurope members find more information on the different phases of offshore wind development, the awarded projects and developers as well as the timelines in our Wind Intelligence Platform.

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